


Tea Cups And Titles

by Sandyclaws68



Series: Making Moments Count [10]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Established Relationship, Gen, Hokage, M/M, Marriage, Post-War, foster children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-14 10:21:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4560933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandyclaws68/pseuds/Sandyclaws68
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Well, I was trying everything to avoid telling you,” Kakashi replied with a somewhat sheepish smile.  “Or, to put it another way, I was hoping that hints and innuendos would be enough and I wouldn't have to actually say it.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tea Cups And Titles

Over the years Iruka had come to one inescapable conclusion about Saturday mornings at the mission desk; they were either insanely busy or deathly quiet. There never seemed to be any sort of happy medium. That was the main reason why, once he had the seniority, Iruka had requested that he never be scheduled for that shift. It wasn't that he minded working on Saturdays, he just much preferred the evening.

So it was a thoroughly unusual circumstance to find him there, at just about eleven-thirty in the morning on a Saturday. And it was one of those deathly quiet mornings, so when Genma strolled in Iruka grinned. At least his boredom would be alleviated for a while.

Genma halted just inside the door and glanced around as if he expected to find someone else there. Then he sauntered over to the desk, leaning against it with one hand braced beside Iruka's elbow. “Fancy seeing you here, sensei,” he said with an overly exaggerated leer.

Iruka laughed out loud and knocked the arm away; Genma just managed to catch himself and avoid an embarrassing faceplant. “Yeah, well, things didn't quite go my way this morning,” he said with a smile.

And that was the understatement of the year. His normally lazy Saturday morning had come to an abrupt end when a messenger from the Hokage's office had arrived at the door (and refused to enter the house, which may have been a result of Buru's intimidating stare). Iwashi had returned from a mission the previous evening injured and was still in the hospital, and everyone else with the required security clearance was either on guard duty or away from the village. Would Iruka-sensei please take the morning shift at the mission desk?

Iruka hadn't particularly wanted to do it but hadn't been left with much choice. When the first rush had died down (fallen off a cliff, more like) he had started amusing himself by thinking of all the concessions he could extract from Tsunade-sama in exchange. Although, if truth be told, he was somewhat pleased to be there, knowing that Kakashi was expected to return that day from a two week mission.

“Who's watching those three brats while you're here?” Genma asked, pulling up a chair and sitting on the other side of the desk.

In the six months since the end of the war he and Kakashi had, on three separate occasions, fostered small groups of orphans that had been displaced by the war, taking care of the children until other arrangements could be made or other family was found. None of the first three instances had lasted all that long, but this fourth group. . . Well, they looked to be sticking around a little bit longer. And while Iruka hesitated to refer to any child as a brat even he had to admit that three high-powered, high-energy Kumo orphans were something of a test, even for his patience.

“If you are referring to Momori, Toshihiko, and Arashi, well, Tenten drew the short straw today.” He fiddled with the pen in his hand. “I can only hope that they don't talk her into demonstrating her techniques. Last time that happened it took almost three days to dig all of the shuriken out of the walls.” He gave an exaggerated shudder that made Genma chuckle. “But I'm fairly certain you didn't come here to ask me about a trio of foster kids,” he went on, studying Genma. The tokujo had a look in his eyes that anyone who knew him would recognize; the look of a frustrated gossip hound having been sworn to secrecy about something.

Genma caught the expression on Iruka's face and grinned. “Yeah, I hate knowing something this big and not being able to spill it. But I love living more, and Tsunade-sama will kill me in a horrific manner if I say anything, so you'll have to remain in the dark.” He laughed slightly. “I can tell you, though, that you'll find out before too much longer.”

Iruka sighed inwardly and rolled his eyes. He never enjoyed these sorts of games but he valued Genma's friendship enough to put up with it. The trick was in appearing disinterested; Genma didn't enjoy messing with people if he couldn't get a rise out of someone. “So why are you here if not to gossip?” he asked, careful to keep his voice bored.

“Waiting to deliver a very important message from the Hokage's office,” Genma replied, studying Iruka out of the corner of his eye. “A message for Kakashi.”

Okay, that got Iruka's attention, but he managed not to show it. “Presumably too important to leave it with me,” he said with a casual shrug.

“Sorry, sensei,” the tokujo responded with a shake of his head. “Orders are direct to the man himself, and not even for his husband am I going to disobey. Horrific manner of death, remember?”

“Maa, Genma-chan, what could possibly be that important?”

Iruka smiled to himself as Genma started at the voice. He had felt Kakashi approaching, coming up the wall of the building in order to enter through the window as he habitually did. “Hello, Kakashi,” he said, tilting his face so his husband could brush a masked kiss across his cheek. “You're home early.”

Kakashi's eyes widened in feigned surprise. “I was expected back today.”

“And for you on time counts as early,” Iruka added with a grin. “Now please talk to Genma so he can deliver the message before he explodes with the need to spill whatever beans he's holding in.”

Genma shot the chuunin a look and childishly stuck his tongue out before standing to attention and wiping all traces of mirth from his face. “Hatake Kakashi,” he began, and that formality (especially coming from one of the most informal shinobi in the village) sent a shiver down Iruka's spine. “The Godaime Hokage requests your presence in her office immediately upon your return. I am to escort you there and ensure you speak to no one in the interim.” He bowed low when the speech was finished.

Iruka was surprised and could tell by the look on his face that Kakashi was as well. Such a formal summons was usually a prelude to disciplinary action, but Genma would not have been ordered to keep that a secret. And when Kakashi opened his mouth to say something to his husband Genma smoothly stepped between them. “You are to speak to no one, Hatake-san.”

Iruka's eyebrows climbed up his forehead, but he knew better than to push it. He leaned back in his chair and gave Kakashi a significant look which the other man acknowledged with a minute nod. “I'll see you at home when you're done, then,” Iruka said as Genma led Kakashi from the room. He had sounded calm but couldn't help the small kernel of worry in his heart that was threatening to erupt.

**************

Two hours later Iruka arrived at home to find that Kakashi wasn't there. That small, niggling sense of worry started to grow. Thankfully he had a ready-made distraction in the form of their foster children, all of whom seemed to be intent on wreaking maximum havoc. Tenten appeared to be completely dazed after a morning spent in their company, and one of her hands kept twitching as if she desperately wanted to unleash an entire scroll's worth of weaponry on them.

Iruka was barely inside the door, bent over to remove his sandals, when he heard an all-too-familiar ear-splitting screech. He quickly straightened up and entered the house's main hallway. “OI!” he shouted, knowing his voice would override the rest of the noise. “What's the standing rule about jutsu in the house?”

Silence fell, broken by a few hurried whispered before Toshihiko appeared in the archway leading to the kitchen. “Um, unless it's for cleaning no jutsu allowed in the house?”

Iruka bit back a grin at the questioning tone in that answer. He knew Toshihiko wasn't the guilty party, and also knew that he had been chosen as the spokesperson precisely because of that innocence. “Arashi?” he called out, and heard the shuffle of feet as the other boy came to the door. His guilty expression was unmistakable.

“Sorry, Iruka-oji,” he mumbled, hanging his head. “I know better.”

“Yes, you do,” Iruka replied in his best teacher voice. “Especially a jutsu that you don't have complete control over.”

Iruka and Kakashi had fought for days about teaching Arashi chidori. _Working on such a difficult technique will help him focus and improve his control over his lightning affinity._ , Kakashi had argued. _And if he destroys the house before he gains that control?_ had been Iruka's exasperated response. Luckily Momori, who also had lightning affinity, was nowhere near as powerful or the house really would be in pieces. And Iruka breathed a sigh of relief every time he saw signs of a water affinity in Toshihiko.

“You'll be setting the table and cleaning up after dinner tonight,” he went on, holding up a hand when Arashi's expression started to turn mutinous. “And if you don't complain you'll be able to get in some real practice later.” He grinned. “Kakashi-sensei came home today.”

All three of the children cheered and Tenten smiled. “It'll be good to have him back in the village,” she commented. She didn't have to add _Not least of all because it puts you in a better mood, Iruka-sensei._. That went without saying.

Tenten left not long after that, and Iruka settled the three children down by reminding them of the homework assignment that was due on Monday. But with them quiet he lacked a distraction to keep him from worrying about Kakashi. He couldn't imagine Tsunade wanting to speak to him for discipline reasons, but the possibility existed. But eventually he had to figuratively throw his hands in the air and give up on worrying about what he couldn't control. That point arrived when he burned the first batch of rice for dinner. Rice, for pity's sake!

Dinner was eaten in almost complete silence. The kids had clearly picked up on his less-than-stellar mood and were doing what they could to keep it from getting worse. Arashi set about cleaning up without even the slightest grumble, and Iruka turned a blind eye when Toshihiko and Momori helped him in small ways. Now wasn't the time to make a big deal out of strict adherence to the punishment he had ordered, especially since nothing they did violated the spirit of household law.

The last dish was being dried and put away when a familiar chakra passed through the wards that surrounded the house to nudge against Iruka's. He got up out of his chair, leaving his tea on the table, and all but ran to the door. He had a whole slew of affectionate chastisement ready, but one look at Kakashi's face made him change his mind. The older man looked stressed and harried, his eyes slightly unfocused and his face paler than normal. “Kakashi. . .”

The older man shook his head. “Not now,” he said, barely audible, before Iruka heard the thundering footsteps that indicated the approach of the children. With joyous shouts of _Kakashi-sensei!_ they erupted out of the kitchen and sprinted down the corridor, throwing themselves at him with abandon. Kakashi bent over to gather Momori into a hug before standing straight again, playfully staggering against the grips that Arashi and Toshihiko had on his legs.

Iruka watched the entire scene and felt something in his heart twist. He had an overwhelming suspicion that things in their lives were about to drastically change, but he couldn't say how. The feeling was so powerful that he felt tears pricking at the corners of his eyes and he had to look away from Kakashi and the children. Even so he was fairly certain that his husband caught some sense of his sudden emotional turmoil, for he set Momori back on her feet and gently pushed the two boys away.

“Can you three excuse us for a while?” he asked, tugging his mask down and gently smiling at the trio. “I have something serious I need to discuss with Iruka.” He went through a quick series of hand signs then bit his thumb to complete a summoning; the walls of the corridor rattled from the impact of displaced air as the ninken appeared. “Everybody in the courtyard,” Kakashi directed, bestowing one significant look on Pakkun, who nodded and trotted away briskly.

Once they were alone Iruka stepped in close to Kakashi and cradled the other man's face in his hands. “Welcome home,” he whispered before softly kissing his husband. “I saved you some dinner,” he said when the kiss broke and he pulled back. “Are you hungry?”

Kakashi laughed slightly. “Yes, I'm hungry, but I don't think I could eat anything right now.” He moved his hands from where they rested on Iruka's hips, sliding them up the other man's back to press against his shoulders and bring him into another embrace. Iruka wanted to ask any number of questions, but he knew better; Kakashi would tell him everything, in his own time and his own way.

“So, tea?” he asked, and felt Kakashi's chuckle pass through his chest.

“Tea solves everything, doesn't it, sensei?”

Iruka leaned back enough to look in his husband's eyes. “Maybe not everything, but I think it can help with whatever is bothering you right now.” He took Kakashi's hand, twining their fingers together, and led his husband to the kitchen, pushing him into a chair while he made a fresh pot of tea. He poured a cup for the other man and refreshed his own before speaking again. “I'm surprised your meeting with the Hokage took so long,” he said, as casually as he could.

Kakashi took a sip of his tea and sighed, the tension draining from his expression and from his body as he did so. “Yes, well, it wasn't just a meeting with Tsunade-sama,” he replied, eyes shifting away from Iruka's. “That was just the beginning.”

Iruka made a non-committal sound as he leaned against the counter. “So how else did you spend the day?” he asked.

Kakashi looked up from his tea, eyes locking on his husband's face. “We also had a long meeting with the council, and then with the Daimyo and his advisers,” he replied, each word spoken very crisply and precisely. “And lastly with the jounin chiefs of staff.”

Iruka felt again that twist in his heart that had caught at him when they were in the corridor with the three children, only this time he had an inkling of what was about to change. He took several deep breaths. “Kakashi, are you telling me. . .” His voice trailed off, reluctant to actually say the words out loud. Out loud would make them inescapably real. His fingers tightened around his cup of tea.

“Well, I was trying everything to avoid telling you,” Kakashi replied with a somewhat sheepish smile. “Or, to put it another way, I was hoping that hints and innuendos would be enough and I wouldn't have to actually say it.”

“Kakashi.” Iruka's voice was stern.

“All right, all right!” A long pause and a deep breath. “Tsunade nominated me as her successor and it was approved by the council, the Daimyo, and the jounin chiefs. And I accepted.”

“Whe -” Iruka coughed to clear his suddenly tight throat. “When?”

“One month.”

The sound of the cup in Iruka's hand shattering was abnormally loud in the stillness, as was Iruka's hiss of pain as the almost-scalding tea spilled across his hand. Kakashi leaped from his chair and across the room, taking Iruka's hand in his and pushing it under the faucet, turning on the water. Iruka gasped as the cold liquid soothed the burn, leaning against Kakashi as the other man carefully turned the scalded hand to ensure it was completely cooled. “Are you all right?” he asked, looking worried and ever-so-slightly guilty. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dropped all of this on you like that.”

Iruka shook his head. “No, it's fine. I asked, after all.” He pulled away from his husband and took a few minutes to pat his scalded hand dry. “I was just a bit surprised at the timeline. I always thought it was standard to allow longer than that for the transition.”

Kakashi shrugged. “I guess Tsunade has faith in my ability to learn what I need to in a short span of time.”

“Well, you are a genius, after all,” Iruka put in, a small smile tugging up one corner of his mouth.

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief at that sight. A smiling (however slightly) Iruka was a normal Iruka, and the entire walk home he had been terrified that this would be that one thing too many for his husband to handle. He mentally smacked himself upside the head; he should have know better. There wasn't anything that Iruka couldn't handle. Still. . .

“Are you okay with this, Iruka?” he asked, grasping the other man's chin to keep their gazes locked. “I'll go back and tell Tsunade no if that's what you want. I mean. . .” He let his husband go and rubbed the bridge of his nose, unconsciously mimicking one of Iruka's nervous gestures. “This will make _us_ a lot more public than maybe we're ready for.”

Iruka laughed and laid a hand against Kakashi's cheek. “ 'kashi, we got married in front of nearly half the village. Twice! I hardly think it'll be more public than that.” He pressed their foreheads together. “People will be extra curious for a while, I'm sure, but given how boring our daily lives are they'll lose interest soon enough.” He kissed the tip of the other man's nose. “And to answer your question yes, I am absolutely okay with this. And even if I wasn't if I was certain that you wanted it I'd stand by your side no matter what.”

“Are you sure? I mean really, really sure?”

Iruka laughed. “Yes, I'm sure. I'm sure I'm okay with this and I'm sure you'll be a wonderful Hokage, Rokudaime-sama.”

Kakashi froze for the briefest moment before shuddering and exhaling a shaky breath. He put his arms around Iruka and closed the last little distance between them. “Say that again,” he whispered, taking note of the flush spreading across Iruka's cheeks.

“Rokudaime-sama,” Iruka repeated, voice low and sultry. He tightened his grip on Kakashi, pressing his hips intimately against the other man.

Kakashi closed his eyes and bit back a moan, bending his head until his lips were a hair's width away from his husband's. “How do you do that, 'ruka? Make that title so damned sexy?”

“Just lucky, I guess.”


End file.
